The three Southampton players Tonda Eckert must consider dropping for Lincoln
Southampton dive back into Championship action tomorrow lunchtime as they face Lincoln City at Sincil Bank.
This is the first league meeting between the two teams in 65 years, with the Imps spectacularly lifting the League One title aloft last season to break out of the third tier to compete in the illustrious second tier.
This will not be a walk in the park for the Saints as the Imps will be doing everything in their power to frustrate the away side, with two clean sheets picked up in quick succession.
The diligent hosts will also have watched Southampton collapse away at Watford on the opening day, keen to go into the lunchtime kickoff with the same physical approach in mind.
After the slightly underwhelming manner of the 1-1 draw on the road at Birmingham City last time out, Tonda Eckert will be tempted to make several changes, so his side don't fall victim to a shock defeat, or another drab draw, with these three changes possibly occurring.
Nathan Wood out?
This possible alteration might feel a little harsh, as Nathan Wood hasn't been poor, since coming into the side in the wake of Taylor Harwood-Bellis' exit to Aston Villa.
Indeed, last time out at St. Andrew's, Wood would valiantly win six duels, all while only misplacing five of his 53 passes.
Eckert could just view this trip to Sincil Bank as a good opportunity to see what Zach Abbott is made of, with the Nottingham Forest loanee unlikely to be fazed by the prospect of having to deal with Freddie Draper, who is a physically imposing striker, having played in bright lights of the Europa League last season.
He will also have joined the ranks of Southampton to start games, not to warm the bench, so it wouldn't be a shock to see him be thrown in from the get-go in Lincolnshire.
With Keven Schlotterbeck also scoring against Birmingham last time out, it's unlikely the 29-year-old will drop out for Abbott to make his debut, so Wood might have to be the unfortunate casualty at the back.
Cameron Bragg out?
This is another harsh call, as Cameron Bragg is clearly a very talented individual at only 21 years of age.
Indeed, the young midfielder hasn't looked out of his depth in the first team ranks this season, with a stunning four key passes amassed as the Saints tore Millwall to shreds during that comprehensive 5-1 win.
But, Bragg wasn't quite at that level at St. Andrew's, with zero key passes registered, and only two out of his seven duels won, before being hooked off just after the hour mark.
It could be time for James Ward-Prowse to come into the first team fold, with the legendary Saints figure looking lively in Bragg's place during the unsatisfactory 1-1 draw.
From only 29 minutes of action, he would accumulate two shots on James Beadle's net, and muster up one key pass.
Lincoln will be a stern team to try and break down, so having a player of Ward-Prowse's unbelievable pedigree could be key in winning a tight contest.
After all, if the game is cagey and lacking in excitement, the number 30 might fancy curling a jaw-dropping free-kick home to break the deadlock.
Tom Fellows out?
Lastly, Tom Fellows is the last possible exclusion I can think of that Eckert will be pondering for the tense tie at Sincil Bank.
Fellows is such a hit-and-miss character for the South Coast giants, as he grabbed his first ever Saints goal in the dying stages of the 5-1 Millwall win, only to put in a flat performance at St. Andrew's when handed a start.
He would only manage one shot from a forgettable 28 touches of the ball, before Eckert replaced him with Kuryu Matsuki.
Matsuki didn't really strike fear into the Blues defence, either, with zero shots registered, so it will be interesting to see who Eckert slots into his starting XI down the right channel for the trip to the Imps.
He could well stick by Fellows after his Millwall heroics, but Samuel Edozie is another possible player who might enter into the starting eleven in his place, after a transfer request at the last minute of the window didn't go to plan.
